Extraction and infusion of active components from plant materials

Abstract

The present invention relates to methods of extracting cannabinoids from cannabis. Also provided is a cannabinoid extract produced by the method of the invention. In one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method of preparing a cannabinoid extract, the method comprising heating cannabis plant material for an appropriate time and temperature in order to substantially decarboxylate the cannabis plant material; (ii) extracting cannabinoids from the decarboxylated cannabis plant material by the use of solvents; and (iii) infusing lipid with the extracted cannabinoids. In one embodiment, the present invention provides for methods of preparing a cannabinoid-infused lipid composition and products made by such methods. In another embodiment, the methods render the normally unpleasant tasting concentrated cannabis oil flavorless or reduced in unpleasantness.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A method of preparing a cannabinoid infused lipid composition:
 a) providing cannabis; 
 b) decarboxylating the cannabis by heating the cannabis to a temperature from 180° F. to 280° F., for a time which ensures that at least 90% conversion of one or more acid cannabinoids in the cannabis are converted to their neutral form, while ensuring that the thermal degradation of THC to CBN is less than 10% and wherein the cannabis has no more than 10% moisture to yield a decarboxylated cannabis; 
 c) contacting an organic solvent with the decarboxylated cannabis, wherein the organic solvent is selected from the group consisting of ethanol, propanol, isopropanol, butanol, and mixtures thereof; 
 d) extracting at least one bioactive molecule from the decarboxylated cannabis into the organic solvent, thereby producing a cannabis extract; 
 e) contacting the cannabis extract with a lipid compound selected from the group consisting of dairy butters, canola oil, cocoa butter, coconut oil, corn oil, ghee, lard, nut butters, nut oils, olive oil, peanut oil, safflower oil, soybean oil, sunflower oil, vegetable oils, and mixtures thereof; and 
 f) infusing at least one bioactive molecule from the cannabis extract into the lipid compound via a pressure infusion vessel, thereby producing a cannabinoid-infused lipid composition. 
 
     
     
       2. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising recovering the cannabinoid-infused lipid composition from the organic solvent; thereby producing an edible cannabis composition. 
     
     
       3. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the step of lipid infusion of the extracted and decarboxylated cannabis plant material-derived composition is performed at a pressure between 0 psi and 25 psi above atmospheric pressure. 
     
     
       4. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the cannabinoids are selected from the group consisting of tetrahydrocannabinolic acid (THCA), cannabidiolic acid (CBDA), cannabichromenic acid (CBC) and mixtures thereof. 
     
     
       5. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the organic solvent is an alcohol having a concentration of 10% to 50%. 
     
     
       6. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising the step of: winterization and/or de-waxing of the cannabis extract. 
     
     
       7. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the cannabinoid-infused lipid composition is used in the preparation of food products. 
     
     
       8. The method of  claim 1 , wherein steps (b) or (d) are repeated at least once.